Currently, components, particularly vehicular components such as those found in automotive vehicles, which are to be mated together in a manufacturing process are mutually located with respect to each other by alignment features that are oversized and/or undersized to provide spacing to freely move the components relative to one another to align them without creating an interference therebetween that would hinder the manufacturing process. One example includes two-way and/or four-way male alignment features, typically upstanding bosses, which are received into corresponding female alignment features, typically apertures in the form of holes or slots. There is a clearance between the male alignment features and their respective female alignment features which is predetermined to match anticipated size and positional variation tolerances of the male and female alignment features as a result of manufacturing (or fabrication) variances. As a result, significant positional variation can occur between the mated first and second components having the aforementioned alignment features, which may contribute to the presence of undesirably large variation in their alignment, particularly with regard to the gaps and spacing between them. In the case where these misaligned components are also part of another assembly, such misalignments can also affect the function and/or aesthetic appearance of the entire assembly. Regardless of whether such misalignment is limited to two components or an entire assembly, it can negatively affect function and result in a perception of poor quality.
To align and secure components, the aforementioned male and female alignment features may be employed in combination with separate fastener components or a separate operation such as heat staking, for example, that serve to secure the components to each other. In such an assembly, the mating components are located relative to each other by the alignment features, and are fixed relative to each other by the separate fastener components. Use of separate alignment features and fastener components, one for alignment and the other for securement, may limit the effectiveness of each on a given assembly, as the alignment features cannot be employed where the fastener components are employed. Also, where heat staking is employed to fasten a metal component to a plastic component, the heat stake tool is typically designed to have a clearance to the metal component in order to avoid damage to the heat stake tool. With such a clearance, however, the resulting heat stake typically does not hold the metal component tight against the plastic component, which tends to produce a loosened assembly over time, requiring additional noise mitigation to be added to the assembly.
Accordingly, the art of alignment systems can be enhanced by providing a self-retaining alignment system or mechanism that can ensure precise two-way and/or four-way alignment and fastening of two components via elastic averaging of a single elastically deformable alignment element disposed in mating engagement with a corresponding single alignment and retention feature.